Switch box and switch cartridge



hNov. 4 1924. 1,514,210

W. A. HEINRICH SWITCH BOX AND SWITCH CARTRIDGE Filed Feb. 15, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 3, ZM

Nov. 4 1924. 1,514,210

w. A. HEINRICH SWITCH BOX AND SWITCH CARTRIDGE Filed Fb- 16, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,44. l 15 f5 up Inl/*anion 14 Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,514,210 PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER A. HEINRICH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOIR` BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO W. N. MATTHEWS CORPORATION, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 0F MISSOURL! SWITCH BOX AND SWITCH CARTRIDGE.

Application 'led February 16, 1922. Serial No.536,847.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTR A. HEINRICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at. St, Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in lSwitch Boxes vand Switch Cartridges, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application.

My invention relates to electrical distribu-A tion apparatus and particularly to fuse switches and their containing boxes such as are used in high potential transmission lines. The general types of switch box involved is shown in prior patents, N o. 1,288,951 and N o. 1,398,335, issued to Claude L. Matthews and myself, December 24, 1918, and November 29, 1921, respectively.

The present invention comprises improvements upon the box and switch cartridge illustrated in these patents whereby I am enabled to more surely protect the person who operates the switch cartridge and to. positively prevent destruction of the carridge or the box due to the blowing of a use.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment of my invention- Fi ure 1 is a section through In switch box lowing a switch cartridge in clbsed position, in full lines, and in open position, in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a front view of the box with its door removed.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the box.

Fifrure 4 isa vertical section through Ithe switch cartridge.

Figure 5 is a bottom view thereof.

Figure 6 isa transverse section through one of the cartridge contact elements and is taken on line 6 6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a section similar to Figure 4 but showing a more economical form of the switch cartridge. l l

The fuse box has a bottom 1, a back 2, sides 3 and 3", a top 4, and a door 5 comprising a wall opposite to the back 2. Insulators 6 and 7 are mounted upon back 2 of the box and respectively support the line terminals. Side 3 is provided with an opening adjacent to the upper terminal in which is placed an insulator 6a through which lthe lead-in wire passes and side 3 is provided with an opening adjacent to the lower terminal in which an insulator 8 is located through which the lead-out Wire passes. The bottom 1 of the box is provided with an opening 9 extending through the edge of the bottom facing door 5.

The lswitch cartridge, best illustrated in Figure 4, preferably comprises a main tube 10 of insulating material which carries terminal engaging elements 1l and 12 of conductive material. Tube 10 is'led into the bottom of element 11 and preferably provided with a threaded engagement therewith. The lower portion of element 11 is split at 13 and the split portion is provided with a screw 14; this construction providing a clamp for positively engaging tube 10 and eliminating a set screw engagement such as has been used previously and which was objectionable because of the fact that the set screw might project through the wall of the tube and provide a leakage from the interior of the tube to the interior of the switch box. The upper face of element 11 is recessed at 15, the bottom wall 16 ofthe recess is perforated at 17, and a plug 18 is screwed into recess 15. Recess 15.and plug 18 are adapted to receive one end of a fuse wire 19 and clamp the same securely in Contact with the conductive element 11.

Tube 10 passes entirely through element 12 and extends beyond same through the opening 9 in bottom 1 of the box. Element 12 is split at 20 and provided with a screw 21 to form a tube clamping arrangement similar to that described rfor element 11. The portion of element 12 opposite to the terminal engaging blade is recessed on its lower side to admit a second insulating tube 22 and is recessed upon its upper side to provide a fuse engaging shelf and for a clamping screw 23 corresponding to the similar construction in the upper end of element 11.

Tube 22 extends downwardly from this portion of element 12 through the opening 9 in the bottom 1 of the box and terminates adjacent to the end of tube 10. A block 24 of insulating material unites tubes 1'0 and 22 at their bottom but is open on the of the in positionin recess and provides a poi.

tion of the fuse oi' reduced area, the object of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It will be noted that the fuse wire extending from its Contact with element l2 at 2G to its contact with element ll at 25 passes outside of the switch box. Furthermore, an

' abrupt return bend is formed in wirell inl f this portion which is projecting beyond the vbottom of the box. This arrangement pro-y vides an eiiicientswitch cartridge ,and box construction inwhich the blowingof the fuse cannot; result inthe destruction of the switch parts due tothe filling of the box with metallic vapor and the,resulting confiafration. s

f ai@ fuse is blown, a Wai be at as weakest portion which is in the tube recess of element 11. The. resulting arc is lengthened downwardly' as the fuse wire melts until the abrupt bend 27 is reached, This hairpin turn in the path will destroy .the arc and terminate its capacity foi'daniage, The bottom l of the box -is provided with hinge butts 28 vand block Qiis provided with hinge membersQQ adapted to pivot in .butts 28. The ends of these hinge members 29 have integral eccentrics 30 so shaped 4that when the cartridge is in the vertical full line position of Figure l, the hinge members 29 cannot be disassembled from' hinge butts but when the cartridge is swung tothe dotted line position, the hinge members may be raised and slidably disengaged from the hinge butts. Due to this construction, it is unnecessary for an operatorto ever put his hand inside of the box. It a cartridge has been removed and is being replaced, the

vlower end is slidably engaged with the hinge butts onf-the bottom of the box,as indicated by the'- dotted line position of the cartridge in Figure l, and the operator may swing the cartridge into the vertical switchclosing position by means of a short stick. Member 11 is provided with an eye 311 so that when it is necessary to remove the switchcartridge, the hook on a stick may be used to engage eye 8l to pull the cartridge into the switch-opening dotted line position in which it may be safely grasped by the operator.

In the construction shown in Figure 7, the shorter tube 32 is inclined toward the longer tube 33. .The contacting portions of the tubes are cut awa .atBet to accommodate the fuse wire. The inge in this construction is simpler than the one described above,

apin 35 being mounted across the recess in the box bottom and a suitable hook 36 being provided on the cartridge. This construction is simpler than that previously" de- Y scribed but doesnot vary, therefrom in prinonevend and secured near' its respective ends to said` elements and ends, from said box. s

, 2. In a switch box, a wall having an open# ing, line terminals mounted in said box, terminal engaging elements, respective insulating tubes secured to said elements and leading from the latter through said opening,

projecting, between its and a fuse wire extending through said tubes, connecting said elementsand' wholly enclosed by said tubes and by portions of said engaging elements'while inside the box.

3. In a switch box, spaced line terminals, spaced terminal engaging elements,and a fuse secured near its respective ends to said elements and projecting, between its'ends,

from saidbox, and an insulator tube which with said elements surrounds all that portion of said fuse which is located within the box. Y i

V4t. In a switch box, spacedl line teri'uinals, spaced terminal engagingelements, and a fuse secured near its-respective ends to said elements and projecting, between its ends, from said box, the projecting portion including an abrupt bend, and a tubular insulator enclosing said -fuse from element to element and provided with a lateral opening to receive the bent portion of said fuse.

5. In a switch box, line terminals, a box wall having an opening extending to an edge of'said wall, a doorway in the side of the box facing this wall edge, a fuse container having terminal engaging elements and hinged on said wall between the sides of said opening and swingable through Said doorway into terminal engaging position.

6. In a switch box, line terminals, a box wall having anr opening extending to an edge of said wall, a doorway in the side of the box. facing this wall edge, a hinge element mounted on said wall between the sides of said opening, a fuse container provided j with terminal engaging elements and having 7. In a switchcartridge, spaced terminal engaging elements, and a hairpin shaped fuse secured near its respective ends to said elements and having its legs surrounded throughout their length by insulating material but being open to the atmosphere adjacent the outside of its bent portion.

8. A switch cartridge comprising spaced terminal engaging elements, a fuse secured at one end to one of said' elements, extending therefrom past the other yof said elements, provided with a return bend beyond the latter element and having its other end secured to the latter of said elements, an insulating tube extending from the first of said elements to the bend and enclosing the corresponding portion of said Jfuse, an insulating tube extending from the second of said elements to the bend and enclosing the corresponding portion of .said fuse.

9. A switch cartridge comprising spaced terminal engaging elements, a fuse secured at one end to one of said elements extending therefrom .past the other of said elements, provided with a return bend beyond the latter element, and having its other end secured to the latter of said elements, an -insulating tube extending from the first of said elements to the bend and enclosing the corresponding portion of said fuse, an insulating tube extending from the second of said elements to the bend and enclosing the corresponding portion of said fuse, said tubes being united so as to form a barrier ot insulating material between said elements and the bend in said fuse.

lO. In a switch cartridge, a terminal engaging element provided with a recess, an insulating tube leading from said recess, a second terminal engaging element provided with a recess, an insulating tube leading from the latter recess, said tubes being of different lengths but terminating adjacent to each other, a fuse wire secured at its opposite ends in said elements, respectively',

and extending within said elements intermediate its ends and having its end, which is secured to the element farthest from the ends of said tubes, of reduced area..

l1. In a switch cartridge, aligned terminal engaging elements each having a recess provided with a perforated transverse partition wall, an insulating tube on one side of said wall leading away from each recess with an open end aligned with the perforation in said wall, a fuse wire entering the recesses through said tubes, and means for clamping the terminals of said wire against the faces of said recess on the opposite sides of said walls.

12. A switch cartridge comprising inclined insulating tubes contacting with each other at one end of each and terminating near their point of contact, one tube being longer than the other, individual terminal engaging elements at the separated ends of said tubes, and a fuse wire connected at its opposite ends to said elements respectively and extending through said tubes intermediate its ends.

13. A switch cartridge comprising spaced terminal engaging elements, a fuse secured at one end to one of said elements, extending therefrom past the other of said elements, provided with a return bend beyond the latter element and having its other end secured to the latter of said elements, an insulating tube extending from the first of said elements to the ybend and enclosing the corresponding portion of said fuse, an insulating tube extending from the second of said elements to the bend and enclosing the corresponding ortion of said fuse, the bent pplrtion of the use being open to the atmosp ere.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature this 11th day of February, 1922.

WALTER A. HEINRICH. 

